The groundbreaking for a new mobility hub at Colorado Highway 7 and I-25 Wednesday signaled a huge step forward for residents in Thornton and others who yearn for a mass transit option to travel on the northern Front Range, Thornton Councilmember Chris Russell said.
“This definitely momentous,” said Russell, who heaved the first shovel full of dirt to start the construction of the hub. “We will be adding mass transit for residents, businesses in this area. This is vital for the growth along this I-25 corridor.”
Russell and several local and state officials on Wednesday helped mark the beginnings of the fourth mobility hub on the I-25 north corridor. Ten years in the making, the hub is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.
Its location on the southeast corner of Colorado 7 and I-25 and next to the Larkridge Shopping Center, allows commuters to get out of their cars and take to other forms of transportation, officials said.
“We are offering alternatives to just sitting in traffic,” said Sally Chaffee, acting executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The facility will provide a fourth location for people to not only access CDOT’s Bustang’s bus line on the north corridor but also connect to the local transit system between Boulder and Brighton along Colorado 7, said Jessica Myklebust, CDOT’s Region One Transportation Director.
The three other CDOT mobility hubs operating along I-25 in the north are at Firestone-Longmont, Berthoud and Centerra Loveland.
“Initially, this hub will be able to accommodate 152 vehicles, with the ability to double its size to 304 vehicles,” Myklebust said. “It will also have slip ramps next to the main I-25 ramps, allowing people to safely enter or exit the buses. “
The slip ramps will also allow Bustang vehicles to exit and reenter I-25 with little or no delay, she said.
Other features on the hub, according to a CDOT news release, include:
- Pedestrian bridge over I-25, providing safe access to the southbound ramp
- Bus shelters
- New traffic signals at I-25/Colorado 7 ramps
- Additional sidewalks
- Permanent water quality pond.
Mobility hubs are planned for Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Monument, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Idaho Springs, Grand Junction and Fairplay.